The exemplary embodiment relates to tactile user interfaces and finds particular application in connection with a displayable user interface component (“a widget”) having a plurality of virtual sides, whereby at any given time, only one side is displayed to the user on the user interface, and the other side or sides are hidden from view, each side being associated with a different functionality.
Multi-touch interactive systems using specific user-interface designs and capabilities allow users to navigate easily through interactive content on multi-touchscreens of interactive table computers, interactive windows, multi-touch tablet computers, and multi-touch tablet PCs, and smartphone devices, all of which are referred to herein as tactile user interfaces (TUIs). TUIs incorporate a display device and touch-screen which detects user hand or finger movements or movements of another implement with which a user contacts the screen, such as a stylus. The detected movements are translated into commands to be performed, in a similar manner to conventional user interfaces which employ keyboards, cursor control devices, and the like. Such tactile user interfaces can be used for manipulating graphic objects which can represent underlying documents, through finger or implement-guided movement of a widget, such as a virtual magnet.
However, translating the design of standard graphical user interfaces to multi-touch interactive devices is not always straightforward. This can lead to complex manipulations that the user may need to memorize in order to use the functionality provided by a touch-screen application. Additionally, hand movements often lack the precision which can be achieved with a keyboard and user fingers differ in size and shape, causing different touch signals to be sent from the touch-screen to the application.
When a user wishes to change functionality of the widget, this may be performed using a menu from which a user selects one of the functionalities. Such a menu is described, for example, in copending application Ser. No. 13/031,336 and in U.S. Pub 20100313124. As disclosed therein, the functionality of a displayed virtual magnet is changed by selecting from a menu displayed, for example, on a ring around the virtual magnet, with navigable sub-menus optionally being accessed from a main menu. The magnet can then be applied to the set of graphic objects where the new functionality of the magnet affects how the graphic objects respond to the magnet, based on underlying document properties.
One problem with such a widget is that on some user interfaces, such as smartphones, the menu options may be difficult to read, due to the small size of the screen. Selection of one of the menu options using touch gestures may also be difficult or time consuming, even on larger screens, when the number of options is fairly large or when navigation through a number of sub-menus is desired.
There remains a need for an apparatus and method employing a displayable widget which can be tuned with minimal touch gestures.